Posey Runs, 'Itching' to Play

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On Tuesday, we pointed out that catcher Buster Posey could get in a game as a designated hitter "by the end of the week," but that baserunning was currently a concern for the catcher as he continues to rehab from a nasty leg/ankle injury.

Good news: Posey ran yesterday. He didn't run in front of many people, but he ran. Scott Miller of CBSSports.com writes that Buster, "on a back field away from the crowds," worked on his baserunning and took "two steps forward."

"That's kind of how my rehab has gone," Posey said. "When I challenge it to do something new, things seem to go better."

Posey, per Miller, said he ran "in the 60- to 70-percent range."

That's not ideal, per se, but it's also not awful either. And Posey pointed out that while he's "itching" to get back on the diamond, neither he nor the Giants want him to return before he's absolutely 100 percent ready to go.

"I'm definitely itching to get into a game," he said. "At the same time, we're just four games in. Today's the fifth. I still think there's plenty of time."

There's definitely plenty of time: just under a month, in fact, before the Giants regular-season opener on Friday, April 6. And Posey knows that he's at the end of his basic baseball rehab, which means live game action is around the corner.

"Since the start of spring, I've been able to do all baseball activities," Posey said. "Catching, blocking, live batting practice, and everything's felt good.

"We knew from the time I was injured that running the bases would be the last thing to come, and [trainer Dave Groeschner] was right."

Groeschner and Posey haven't just been right, they've been patient. That patience is paying off right now and it'll pay off exponentially when Posey's ready to fully return.